The present invention relates to a ski pole holder and water or sports drink holder for attachment to a ski lift on its restraining bar or the side bar of a chair on a ski lift that does not have a restraining bar.
Skiers, once on a ski lift, are required to carry or hold their poles in their hands or to sit on top of them when room allows for this while traveling on the chair lift. Skiers must maintain control over their poles because if dropped off the lift, the pole cannot be retrieved immediately, leaving the skier to traverse the mountain without two poles. Additionally, chair lifts often pass over unreachable, out of bounds areas on the ski mountain, so retrieving dropped poles can pose dangerous conditions for the skier, ski patrol or ski resort lift operators who undertake recovery tasks.
Ideally, the ski lift ride is an opportunity for the skier to relax, and prepare for the next run. Skiers can adjust their ski clothing, reset and clean off their goggles, apply lip and face ointment for the harsh winter weather, or unfold and study a trail map. All of these activities are hampered if the skiers must maintain a firm grip on their ski poles. Sitting on the poles is not an ideal solution because the motion needed to secure the poles and then retrieve them at the top of the lift is awkward and easily leads to dropping the poles. A simple, secure holder to engage the poles during the lift ride would alleviate some of these problems.